This series of postings on Facilities Sand Management (FSM) started on July 28, 2017 with the topic “All Oil & Gas Wells Produce Sand…” (post B-FSM-001).

These posts are generated from a course I teach in the upstream oil & gas industry on dealing with sand in hydrocarbon production (more information here).

To date I have covered five of the eleven modules – with the key items covered as follows.

Key Items

• FSM-M1 – Introduction to Facilities Sand Management. Posts B-FSM-001 to B-FSM-006.
• FSM-M2 – The Nature of Solids. Posts B-FSM-007 to B-FSM-033.
• FSM-M3 – Solids Handling. Posts B-FSM-034 to B-FSM-041.
• FSM-M4 – Liquid Desander (single phase). Posts B-FSM-042 to B-FSM-077.
• FSM-M5 – Multiphase Desander. Posts B-FSM-078 to B-FSM-098.

Each module provides references to technical papers you can research yourself. Don’t just take my word for it – spend the time and do the legwork to understand this important aspect of oil & gas production. My key message of this entire course is “Don’t minimize production. You can safely and smartly handle sand and make more oil & gas.”

The references below are from module FSM-M1.

References:

1. Addis, M.A., Gunningham, M.C., Brassart, Ph., Webers, J., Subhi, H., Hother, J.A., “Sand Quantification: The Impact on Sandface Completion Selection and Design, Facilities Design and Risk Evaluation”, paper 116713, SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Denver, CO, 21-24 September, 2008. https://doi.org/10.2118/116713-MS
2. Andrews, J., Kjørholt, H., Jøranson, H., “Production Enhancement From Sand Management Philosophy. A Case Study from Statfjord and Gulfaks”, paper 95411, SPE 6th European Formation Damage Conference, Scheveningen, The Netherlands, 25-27 May 2005. https://doi.org/10.2118/94511-MS
3. Fadillah, P.M., Ahmad, P.H., Ward, M., Fisher, A., “Gecko Wells: Bringing Sand to Surface, A Change in Well Design Philosophy”, paper 87956 presented at the IADC/SPE Asia Pacific Drilling Technology Conference and Exhibition, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 13-15 September 2004. https://doi.org/10.2118/0105-0037-JPT
4. Geilikman, M.B., Dusseault, M.B., Dullien, F.A., “Fluid Production Enhancement by Exploiting Sand Production”, paper 27797, SPE/DOE Improved Oil Recovery Symposium, 17-20 April, Tulsa, OK, 1994. https://doi.org/10.2118/27797-MS
5. Rafliansyah, A.P., Azkawi, A., Bharti, S., Oyemade, S., “Well Cleanup Issues in Field with Sand Coproduction Philosophy in Oman”, paper 107677, European Formation Damage Conference, Scheveningen, The Netherlands, 30 May-1 June, 2007. https://doi.org/10.2118/107677-MS
6. Rawlins, C.H., “Sand Management Methodologies for Sustained Facilities Operations,” paper 164645-MS, North Africa Technical Conference & Exhibition, Cairo, Egypt, Apr. 15-17, 2013. https://doi.org/10.2118/164645-MS
7. Rawlins, C.H., and Wang, I. I., “Design and Installation of a Sand Separation and Handling System for a Gulf of Mexico Oil Production Facility,” SPE Production and Facilities, paper 72999, Vol. 16, No. 3, 2001, pp. 134-140. https://doi.org/10.2118/72999-PA
8. Sanfilippo, F., Brignoli, M., Giacca, D., Santarelli, F.J., “Sand Production: From Prediction to Management”, paper 38185, SPE European Formation Damage Conference, 2-3 June, The Hague, Netherlands, 1997. https://doi.org/10.2118/38185-MS
9. Selfridge, F., Munday, M., Kvernvold, O., Gordon, B., “Safely Improving Production Performance through Improved Sand Management”, paper 83979, Offshore Europe, 2-5 September, Aberdeen, UK, 2003. https://doi.org/10.2118/83979-MS
10. Vaziri, H.H., Lemoine, E., Palmer, I.D., McLennan, J.. Islam, R., “How Can Sand Production Yield a Several-Fold Increase in Productivity: Experimental and Field Data”, paper 63235 presented at the 2000 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Dallas, TX, 1-4 October, 2000. https://doi.org/10.2118/63235-MS

Next week I will start Module FSM-M6 on Multiphase Screen-Filters – also called Dual-Pot Sand Filters.